Shipping bundle or package



May 6,1958 A F. JACOBS Elf AL ,8

- SHIPPING BQNDLE' OR PACKAGE Filed March 9. 1956v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTORS Foster Jacobs.

. BY 42 2o WMJKM M ATTORN E YS George M. Woodrufifi.

y 6, 1958 F. JAcoBs ErAL 2,833,404

SHIPPING BUNDLE 0R PACKAGE Filed March 9. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Fosber Jacobs.

Georgie M Woodruff.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent SHIPPING BUNDLE OR PACKAGE Application March 9, 1956, Serial No. 570,589

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to a shipping bundle or package comprising a blank of relatively light stock wrapped tightly around a group of smaller packages to be shipped and forming therewith a unitary shipping bundle or package.

More particularly this invention relates to such a ship ping bundle or package in which an elongated blank is wrapped around the group of smaller packages to be shippedwith its ends overlapped and secured together along the center line of the top of the bundle, as distinguished from the usual shipping carton with overlapping side and end flaps at top and bottom. The long edges of the blank also provide small flaps which are tucked in in more or less conventional overlapping manner and suitably secured together to close the ends of the bundle. Thus substantially less stock is required than in the case of the aforesaid usual shipping carton.

It will be seen that the overlapped or two-ply strip along the top center line of the bundle is especially well adapted for use as a tear strip whereby,'asdescribed hereinafter, the top of the bundle can be opened quickly and easily to expose all of the packages for easy access for removal, for price marking, and the like.

Because the blank of the present invention is wrapped tightly about the assembled small packages instead of being preformed into a carton to receive them, the packages themselves contribute substantially to the structural strength of the bundle and it is possible to make the blank out of lighter stock than is customary with resultant substantial savings in cost.

Because of the increased strength of'the tightly packed bundle, moreover, lighter weight stock can be employed for the blank than can be used in the usual shipping carton, as for example corrugated board with only one face sheet or a fairly heavy kraft paper.

The aforesaid features and advantages of the invention make it practicable to use bundles that are flatter and of wider area than the usual carton holding the same number of unit packages and particularly to package a given number of unit packages in a single layer. Thus when the top of the bundle is opened, all of the unit packages are exposed for price marking or other desired treatment, the assembled packages sitting in a tray-like support.

The bundle of the present invention is capable of various mechanical embodiments one of which is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described hereinafter to illustrate the invention. This illustrative embodiment of the present invention should in no way be construed as defining or limiting the same and reference should be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank used in one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. l folded about a group of assembled unit packages to form a shipping bundle with the top closed and the end flaps partially sealed to show the overlapping relationship thereof;

Fig. 3 is ap'erspective view showing the blank of Fig. 1 in process of being folded about an assembled group of unit packages, these being small rectangular cartons of the type employed for packaging gelatin-type desserts and the like for household consumption) Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bundle similar to Fig. 3 but showing the blank of Fig. l at a later stage in the formation of the bundle with the top closed and the end flaps partially folded-.-

Fig. 5 is a view of the bundle of Figs. 1-4 in the process ofbeing opened;and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of-.the bundle of Figs. 1-4

with the top completely opened to expose the contents thereof. I v It is broadly immaterial what stock is used in forming the blank for the bundle but it should be observed that because the blank is wrapped tightly around the contents, it is possible to make the blank of lighter stock than is customary because the contents contribute structural strength ordinarily provided solely by the shipping carton or case. Two-ply corrugated paper board having only anouter face sheet and an inner corrugated ply is particularly suitable for forming the blank of Fig. l and such a two-ply sheet is shown in the drawings. Heavy kraft paper of about 40-90 lbs/1,000 sq. ft. is also suitable.

The blank of Fig. l is ultimately folded on lines 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 and slits 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 to provide a bottom panel 33, side panels 34 and 35, top panels 36 and 37,

internal end flaps 38, 39, 40 and 41, and external end flaps 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 of the bundle. it may be desirable to crease the blank preliminarily along some or all of the fold. lines, especially those at right angles to the corrugations 'in the case of corrugated paper.

As stated, the ends of the blank or in otherwords the edges of the top panels 36 and 37 overlap to form a tear strip and hence theyare preferably provided with tear lines parallel to their edges but spaced therefrom by the width of the overlapping portions which form the tear strip. In the case of two-ply corrugated board, one or more of the tear lines may take the form ofa' cut 48 through the inner corrugated ply, the cut extending par ah lel to the long edge of panel 37 to form a tear stfip portion 49. At the ends of this tear strip portion, score lines 50 and 51 extend transversely across the tear strip 49 from the tear line 48 to the outer end or edge of the blank, these score lines being parallel to fold lines 23, 24 but preferably offset somewhat outwardly for a purpose described hereinafter. Preferably, in order to avoid undue thickness of the tear strip, the tear line across panel 36 is formed by cutting away the corrugated material on the line 52 parallel to the outer edge of the panel, leaving a marginal tear strip portion 53 of the face sheet which may be coated on its under side with a suitable adhesive. Thus while the tear strip still has two plies, its thickness is not materially greater than that of the blank. The ends of this tear strip portion 53 may be scored transversely at 55 and 56 parallel to fold lines 19 and 18, respectively, but offset somewhat outwardly therefrom as in the case of the score lines 50, 51. 7

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the above described blank of Fig. l is wrapped about a plurality of packages or rectangular cartons 54 by placing the desired number of such cartons 54 upon the portion of the strip 49 by the adhesive thereon.

panels 36 and 37 down on top of the cartons on fold lines 16 and 21, respectively. The tear strip portion 53 of top panel 36 is thus brought into overlapped relation with the portion 49 of top panel 37. Strip 53 is then secured to Internal end flaps 38, 39, 40 and 41 are then tucked or foldedinwardly against the ends of the block of cartons 54 alongfold lines 15, 17, 20 and 22, respectively, and end flaps 42 and 43 are folded upwardly on foldlines 12 and 14, respectively, into contact with the adjacent internal end flaps and are secured thereto as by an adhesive. External endflaps 44 and 45 are then folded downwardly along fold lines 18 and 23, respectively, into contact with end flap 42 and are secured thereto as byan adhesive. End flaps 46 and 47 are folded downwardly onfold lines 19 and 24, respectively, into contact with end flap, 43 and are secured thereto as by an adhesive. The bundle then appears substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

It should now be'apparent that folding and securing the blank of Fig.1 tightly about the cartons 54 results in a compact, strong pack even though light weight material is employed in the blank,due to the fact that the assembled cartons 54 comprise .a unitary block which contributes structural strength to the bundle. P

When the bundle of the present invention isto be opened to expose the contents thereof, an end of the bundle is pushed in adjacent either the score lines 50 and 56 at one end as shownin Fig. 5, or adjacent score lines 51 and 55 at the other end, to break the two-ply strip 49, 53 on a transverse line. It will be noted that because of the ofisetting of score lines 50, 51, 55 and 56 relative to the fold lines of the blank, each registering pair of score lines 50, 56 or 51, 55 is located on the end wall of the bundle slightly below its upper corner edge. Hence the end wall of the bundle may be pushed in relative to and thusseparated from the top of the bundle. The composite strip 49, 53 may then be grasped and torn off along tear lines48 and 52 to expose two long edges of top panels 36 and 37. Panel 37 may then be grasped and cut or torn along fold lines 23 and 24 so that it can be folded outwardly to open position as shown in Fig. 6. Similarly panel 36 may be'grasped and folded outwardly around fold line 16 to open position as shown in Fig. 6, tearing along fold lines 18 and 19.

It will be apparent from Fig. 6 that the entire top of the bundle is now open and that the single layer of cartons 54 is now completely exposed either for removal, for price marking, or the like, the ends of the bundle remaining in place to hold the block of cartons 54 in assembled position.

It should now be apparent that the present invention provides the several features and advantages as described above and in every way satisfies the objects thereof.

Changes in or modifications of the above-described illustrative embodiment of this invention may now be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the present inventive concept. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A shipping bundle or package comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular cartons assembled to form a substantially solid substantially rectangular block, and an elongated wrapper blank wrapped tightly around said block and secured thereon to form a unitary closed shipping bundle, said blank having an intermediate portion covering the bottom of said block and being wrapped tightly around the side edges of the block and over its top with the end edges of the blankoverlapping and secured together to provide a two-ply strip along the center line of 'said top, the side edges of said blank being tucked in and secured together at the ends of said block toclose said bundle, said blank being made of corrugated paperboard having an outer facing sheet and said facing sheet extending beyond one end of said corrugated board along one end edge of said blank so that one of the overlapping end portions is reduced in thickness relative to the body of the blank, said corrugated board being cut through to said face sheet parallel to but spaced from the other end edge of the blank, the overlapping end portions of the blank being secured together over at least the major portion of the area between the line of said one end of said corrugated board and the line of said cut and said facing sheet tearing along said lines when said strip is pulled up to open the bundle.

2. A shipping bundle as defined in claim 1, said wrapper having score lines extending across each of said overlapping portions adjacent the same side edge of the blank and located adjacent the top corner edge of said bundle, said score lines defining an end of said strip to be pulled References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 864,731 Hahn -Q Aug. 27, 1907 2,133,701 Holmes et a1. Oct. 18, 1938 2,153,340 Reid -1 Apr. 4, 1939 2,547,005 Herrick et a1. Apr. 3, 1951 2,679,349 Mullinix May 25, 1954 2,708,545 Seith May 17, 1955 

